No matter their political leanings, a majority of Coloradans believe the most pressing issue facing the country today is "jobs and the economy."

And President Barack Obama's favorability has slipped since he carried the state in 2008, with 52 percent of Coloradans now holding an unfavorable opinion of the president, while 35 percent have a favorable opinion, according to the first Denver Post/9News poll of the 2010 campaign.

"I thought he would be able to break the political stalemate and get bipartisanship working, but I think he failed," said Richard Nasby, 53, a Monument Republican.

In all, 55 percent of Coloradans put jobs and the economy as the No. 1 issue facing the country.

Click to enlarge

Among them was Melba Brownfield, 65, of Thornton, a Democrat living solely on Social Security.

"I've seen hard times before, but I never thought I'd see it this bad," she said. "I have friends who are having so much trouble finding jobs. They just don't seem to exist anymore."

Liberals chose energy and health care as their next-biggest concerns, while conservatives went with the deficit followed by immigration.

Brownfield is among those who see immigration as a serious issue.

"Honest to God, it's not just me that feels this way," she said. "They're here illegally. They admit that. And they're looking for jobs. Well, so are we."

The automated poll of about 3,000 likely voters was conducted Tuesday through Thursday by SurveyUSA.

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The issue questions had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 or 2.6 percentage points, depending on samples.

Obama took office in January 2009 in a historic election that saw an unprecedented turnout among young voters. But today, half of Coloradans between ages 18 and 34 aren't impressed, according to the poll.

"I don't think he believes in the free market at all," said unaffiliated voter Britta McFarland, 31, of Grand Junction.

President Barack Obama on Tuesday, June 15, 2010, after his visit to the Gulf Coast region affected by the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. (AP | Charles Dharapak)

Obama and the Democratic-led Congress inspired the Tea Party movement, a loosely organized group of Americans fed up with the size of government, debt and politicians.

In Colorado, 37 percent of those polled had a favorable opinion of the movement, while 29 percent had an unfavorable opinion. Another 35 percent were neutral or had no opinion.

Sixty-four percent of Republicans had a favorable opinion of the Tea Party movement while roughly a third of unaffiliated voters held that view. Among Democrats, 9 percent did.

Fifty-five percent of Democrats and 27 percent of unaffiliated voters held a negative view of the movement.

Support for Arizona law

Click to enlarge

On immigration, 61 percent of Coloradans said the state should pass a law similar to the one recently enacted in Arizona.

The law, in part, requires police to question people if there's reason to suspect they're in the United States illegally and targets those who hire illegal-immigrant laborers.

Former state Sen. Polly Baca of Denver questioned the finding that 62 percent of Latinos supported such a law.

"I think in some of the older families you might get something like that, but I suspect that the new families, the ones coming in the last five to 10 years, they might have a different perspective," she said. "And many of these newcomers probably don't have a traditional phone and weren't polled."

Jay Leve of SurveyUSA said the poll is "as good of a representation of registered voters that you are going to find," adding that registered voters typically have land lines rather than just cellphones.

"It may be striking that the Hispanics we talked to favor such a law, but that is the case," he said.

Oil-cleanup responsibility

As for the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, 60 percent of Coloradans said BP should be responsible for the cleanup. Another 3 percent chose the federal government, and 35 percent said both groups are responsible.

Democrat Ethel Daly, 78, of Loveland thinks BP and the federal government should work together.

"Let's face it," she said. "We obviously can't depend on British Petroleum. I feel if we want it done right, we have to participate."

Are Colorado's current laws on medical marijuana ... too loose? Too restrictive? Or just about right?

1494 50% Split Sample Of Registered Voters

All

Gender

Age

< 50 / 50+

Race

Party

Ideology

Tea Party Movement

College Grad

Attend Religious Service

Region

Margin of Sampling Error: ± 2.6%

Male

Female

18-34

35-49

50-64

65+

18-49

50+

White

Black

Hispanic

Other

Republic

Democrat

Unaffili

Not Sure

Conserva

Moderate

Liberal

Favorabl

Unfavora

Neutral

No Opini

Yes

No

Regularl

Occasion

Almost N

Metro De

Colorado

Rest of

Too Loose

49%

44%

54%

30%

53%

50%

62%

44%

54%

51%

**

39%

**

61%

41%

42%

**

63%

48%

29%

61%

37%

49%

40%

49%

48%

63%

49%

35%

48%

46%

52%

Too Restrictive

21%

23%

19%

31%

20%

20%

12%

24%

17%

21%

**

19%

**

14%

24%

27%

**

15%

20%

35%

14%

28%

21%

26%

21%

22%

11%

23%

30%

23%

21%

17%

Just About Right

27%

30%

24%

37%

24%

26%

22%

29%

25%

25%

**

39%

**

23%

32%

27%

**

19%

29%

33%

22%

32%

28%

27%

28%

25%

24%

22%

32%

26%

30%

26%

Not Sure

3%

3%

3%

2%

3%

4%

4%

3%

4%

3%

**

2%

**

3%

3%

4%

**

3%

3%

3%

3%

2%

3%

7%

3%

4%

3%

5%

2%

3%

3%

4%

Total

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

Composition of 50% Split Sample Of Registered Voters

100%

50%

50%

22%

34%

27%

16%

56%

44%

79%

3%

14%

5%

39%

34%

27%

1%

35%

42%

18%

37%

28%

21%

14%

57%

43%

36%

26%

38%

57%

18%

25%

2

Should Colorado pass an immigration law similar to the one recently passed in Arizona? Or not?

1508 50% Split Sample Of Registered Voters

All

Gender

Age

< 50 / 50+

Race

Party

Ideology

Tea Party Movement

College Grad

Attend Religious Service

Region

Margin of Sampling Error: ± 2.5%

Male

Female

18-34

35-49

50-64

65+

18-49

50+

White

Black

Hispanic

Other

Republic

Democrat

Unaffili

Not Sure

Conserva

Moderate

Liberal

Favorabl

Unfavora

Neutral

No Opini

Yes

No

Regularl

Occasion

Almost N

Metro De

Colorado

Rest of

Should Pass

61%

67%

56%

58%

58%

65%

65%

58%

65%

61%

**

62%

**

82%

37%

60%

**

83%

57%

30%

91%

28%

60%

49%

56%

67%

66%

61%

55%

58%

61%

68%

Should Not

34%

31%

38%

35%

37%

33%

31%

36%

32%

35%

**

31%

**

14%

59%

35%

**

14%

40%

67%

6%

70%

35%

38%

41%

27%

29%

36%

41%

37%

35%

29%

Not Sure

5%

2%

7%

7%

5%

3%

4%

6%

3%

4%

**

7%

**

4%

5%

5%

**

3%

4%

3%

3%

2%

4%

13%

3%

6%

6%

3%

4%

5%

5%

3%

Total

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

Composition of 50% Split Sample Of Registered Voters

100%

50%

50%

23%

33%

28%

16%

56%

44%

82%

3%

12%

3%

41%

34%

24%

1%

37%

38%

19%

36%

29%

21%

14%

54%

46%

38%

26%

36%

57%

18%

25%

3

Is your opinion of Barack Obama ... favorable? Unfavorable? Neutral? Or, do you have no opinion of Barack Obama?

1489 50% Split Sample Of Registered Voters

All

Gender

Age

< 50 / 50+

Race

Party

Ideology

Tea Party Movement

College Grad

Attend Religious Service

Region

Margin of Sampling Error: ± 2.6%

Male

Female

18-34

35-49

50-64

65+

18-49

50+

White

Black

Hispanic

Other

Republic

Democrat

Unaffili

Not Sure

Conserva

Moderate

Liberal

Favorabl

Unfavora

Neutral

No Opini

Yes

No

Regularl

Occasion

Almost N

Metro De

Colorado

Rest of

Favorable

35%

31%

39%

36%

33%

37%

35%

34%

36%

34%

**

34%

**

8%

73%

34%

**

7%

42%

74%

3%

80%

29%

36%

37%

31%

27%

32%

44%

38%

33%

28%

Unfavorable

52%

58%

46%

50%

52%

51%

55%

51%

52%

53%

**

53%

**

83%

12%

48%

**

85%

41%

12%

93%

9%

47%

34%

51%

53%

61%

50%

43%

48%

57%

57%

Neutral

12%

11%

14%

13%

14%

11%

10%

14%

11%

12%

**

11%

**

9%

14%

16%

**

8%

16%

13%

4%

10%

23%

26%

11%

14%

10%

17%

11%

13%

8%

14%

No Opinion

1%

1%

2%

1%

1%

1%

1%

1%

1%

1%

**

2%

**

1%

1%

2%

**

1%

1%

1%

0%

1%

1%

5%

1%

2%

1%

0%

1%

1%

2%

1%

Total

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

Composition of 50% Split Sample Of Registered Voters

100%

49%

51%

22%

35%

27%

17%

56%

44%

79%

3%

14%

4%

44%

32%

23%

1%

38%

40%

17%

39%

29%

19%

14%

56%

44%

39%

26%

35%

57%

17%

26%

4

Who should be responsible for cleaning up the oil in the Gulf of Mexico? British Petroleum? The federal government? Both BP and the federal government? Or someone else?

1513 50% Split Sample Of Registered Voters

All

Gender

Age

< 50 / 50+

Race

Party

Ideology

Tea Party Movement

College Grad

Attend Religious Service

Region

Margin of Sampling Error: ± 2.5%

Male

Female

18-34

35-49

50-64

65+

18-49

50+

White

Black

Hispanic

Other

Republic

Democrat

Unaffili

Not Sure

Conserva

Moderate

Liberal

Favorabl

Unfavora

Neutral

No Opini

Yes

No

Regularl

Occasion

Almost N

Metro De

Colorado

Rest of

BP

60%

59%

61%

47%

62%

67%

60%

56%

65%

61%

**

53%

**

55%

65%

62%

**

53%

65%

66%

50%

75%

62%

52%

62%

57%

58%

60%

62%

61%

54%

63%

Federal Government

3%

3%

3%

4%

4%

2%

2%

4%

2%

3%

**

7%

**

3%

3%

2%

**

4%

2%

3%

4%

0%

2%

6%

2%

4%

2%

5%

2%

3%

4%

1%

Both

35%

36%

34%

46%

31%

30%

35%

37%

32%

34%

**

38%

**

39%

32%

34%

**

41%

31%

30%

42%

25%

35%

39%

34%

36%

36%

34%

35%

34%

39%

34%

Someone Else

1%

1%

1%

1%

1%

1%

1%

1%

1%

1%

**

1%

**

2%

0%

2%

**

2%

1%

0%

2%

0%

1%

1%

1%

2%

3%

0%

0%

1%

2%

1%

Not Sure

1%

1%

1%

1%

1%

1%

1%

1%

1%

1%

**

0%

**

2%

0%

0%

**

1%

1%

0%

2%

0%

0%

2%

1%

1%

2%

0%

0%

1%

1%

1%

Total

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

Composition of 50% Split Sample Of Registered Voters

100%

51%

49%

23%

33%

28%

16%

56%

44%

81%

3%

12%

4%

36%

35%

28%

1%

34%

40%

20%

35%

29%

23%

14%

56%

44%

36%

26%

38%

57%

20%

24%

5

Which one of the following is the single most important issue facing the United States today? Jobs and the economy?Immigration? The war in Afghanistan? The war in Iraq? Energy? The federal deficit? Health care? Or something else?

1498 50% Split Sample Of Registered Voters

All

Gender

Age

< 50 / 50+

Race

Party

Ideology

Tea Party Movement

College Grad

Attend Religious Service

Region

Margin of Sampling Error: ± 2.6%

Male

Female

18-34

35-49

50-64

65+

18-49

50+

White

Black

Hispanic

Other

Republic

Democrat

Unaffili

Not Sure

Conserva

Moderate

Liberal

Favorabl

Unfavora

Neutral

No Opini

Yes

No

Regularl

Occasion

Almost N

Metro De

Colorado

Rest of

Jobs & The Economy

55%

54%

56%

60%

53%

55%

52%

56%

54%

53%

**

66%

**

53%

62%

50%

**

50%

64%

52%

49%

61%

62%

50%

54%

57%

53%

61%

55%

57%

54%

52%

Immigration

11%

12%

11%

11%

11%

11%

12%

11%

11%

11%

**

9%

**

14%

6%

13%

**

15%

8%

7%

17%

4%

9%

13%

10%

13%

11%

14%

9%

11%

9%

13%

War In Afghanistan

4%

3%

4%

2%

3%

4%

6%

3%

5%

3%

**

5%

**

3%

5%

3%

**

2%

4%

6%

2%

5%

4%

5%

4%

3%

4%

3%

3%

3%

5%

4%

War In Iraq

1%

1%

2%

1%

2%

1%

1%

1%

1%

1%

**

2%

**

1%

2%

2%

**

0%

2%

2%

1%

2%

1%

1%

1%

2%

1%

2%

1%

1%

3%

1%

Energy

6%

7%

5%

7%

8%

5%

2%

7%

4%

7%

**

1%

**

1%

10%

8%

**

2%

6%

15%

1%

13%

5%

6%

8%

3%

4%

4%

9%

6%

4%

7%

Federal Deficit

13%

16%

10%

9%

14%

13%

16%

12%

14%

14%

**

9%

**

21%

3%

13%

**

23%

8%

4%

23%

4%

10%

7%

15%

10%

17%

9%

11%

11%

17%

13%

Health Care

6%

4%

7%

5%

5%

6%

6%

5%

6%

6%

**

3%

**

3%

8%

5%

**

4%

5%

10%

3%

7%

4%

11%

5%

7%

4%

5%

7%

6%

5%

5%

Something Else

5%

4%

5%

5%

4%

5%

5%

4%

5%

4%

**

5%

**

5%

4%

5%

**

5%

3%

5%

4%

4%

4%

7%

4%

5%

7%

2%

4%

5%

3%

5%

Total

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

Composition of 50% Split Sample Of Registered Voters

100%

51%

49%

22%

33%

28%

16%

56%

44%

79%

3%

14%

4%

40%

34%

26%

1%

36%

40%

18%

37%

29%

21%

14%

55%

45%

37%

25%

38%

55%

20%

25%

6

Is your opinion of the Tea Party Movement ... favorable? Unfavorable? Neutral? Or, do you have no opinion of the Tea Party Movement?

2964 Registered Voters

All

Gender

Age

< 50 / 50+

Race

Party

Ideology

Tea Party Movement

College Grad

Attend Religious Service

Region

Margin of Sampling Error: ± 1.8%

Male

Female

18-34

35-49

50-64

65+

18-49

50+

White

Black

Hispanic

Other

Republic

Democrat

Unaffili

Not Sure

Conserva

Moderate

Liberal

Favorabl

Unfavora

Neutral

No Opini

Yes

No

Regularl

Occasion

Almost N

Metro De

Colorado

Rest of

Favorable

37%

43%

31%

34%

35%

39%

40%

35%

39%

38%

**

34%

**

64%

9%

32%

**

69%

23%

7%

100%

0%

0%

0%

36%

38%

48%

31%

30%

32%

41%

43%

Unfavorable

29%

27%

31%

24%

29%

31%

30%

27%

31%

29%

**

23%

**

8%

55%

27%

**

5%

36%

59%

0%

100%

0%

0%

35%

20%

22%

27%

36%

32%

25%

24%

Neutral

21%

20%

22%

23%

19%

21%

21%

21%

21%

21%

**

20%

**

20%

19%

25%

**

17%

27%

17%

0%

0%

100%

0%

18%

24%

19%

25%

19%

21%

20%

22%

No Opinion

14%

10%

17%

18%

17%

9%

9%

17%

9%

12%

**

23%

**

8%

17%

16%

**

8%

14%

17%

0%

0%

0%

100%

10%

18%

11%

16%

15%

15%

14%

11%

Total

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

100%

Composition of Registered Voters

100%

50%

50%

22%

34%

28%

16%

56%

44%

80%

3%

13%

4%

40%

33%

26%

1%

36%

40%

18%

37%

29%

21%

14%

56%

44%

37%

26%

37%

57%

18%

25%

** Too few respondents of this type were interviewed for this data to be meaningful.

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